kookaburra | bird | Britannica.com Kookaburra See Article History Alternative Titles: bushman’s clock, Dacelo gigas, laughing jackass, laughing kookaburra Kookaburra, also called laughing kookaburra or laughing jackass, (species Dacelo novaeguineae), eastern Australian bird of the kingfisher family (Alcedinidae), whose call sounds like fiendish laughter. This gray-brown, woodland-dwelling bird reaches a length of 43 cm (17 inches), with an 8- to 10-cm (3.2- to 4-inch) beak. In its native habitat it eats invertebrates and small vertebrates, including venomous snakes. In western Australia and New Zealand , where it has been introduced, the kookaburra has been known to attack chickens and ducklings. Defending their territory year-round, a monogamous pair of these birds lays two clutches of two to four white eggs in its nest in a tree hole. The young often remain with the parents and help raise the next year’s brood.

Kookaburra (Dacelo gigas) Bucky Reeves—The National Audubon Society Collection/Photo Researchers Listen: kookaburra Audio clip of a laughing kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae). Also sometimes called the “bushman’s clock,” the kookaburra is heard very early in the morning and just after sunset. The related blue-winged kookaburra (D. leachii), which does not “laugh,” is found across northern Australia. Learn More in these related articles: in kingfisher Stretching 43 cm (17 inches) long and weighing 465 grams (16 ounces), the largest of all kingfishers is the kookaburra, known throughout Australia for its laughing call. The kookaburra’s white head has a brown eye stripe, the back and wings are dark brown, and the underparts are white. Often found in urban and suburban areas, it can become quite tame and may be fed by hand. A member of the...

1 Reference found in Britannica Articles Assorted Reference kookaburra - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up) The loud call of the kookaburra, a woodland bird of Australia, sounds like maniacal laughter. The bird and its distinctive call have become a symbol of the Australian bush. Native to eastern Australia, it has also been introduced into western Australia, Tasmania, and New Zealand. It is also known as the laughing kookaburra. Its species name is Dacelo gigas. Article History Corrections? Updates? Help us improve this article! Contact our editors with your feedback. MEDIA FOR: You have successfully emailed this. Error when sending the email. Try again later. Edit Mode Submit Tips For Editing We welcome suggested improvements to any of our articles. You can make it easier for us to review and, hopefully, publish your contribution by keeping a few points in mind. Encyclopædia Britannica articles are written in a neutral objective tone for a general audience. You may find it helpful to search within the site to see how similar or related subjects are covered. Any text you add should be original, not copied from other sources.

At the bottom of the article, feel free to list any sources that support your changes, so that we can fully understand their context. (Internet URLs are the best.) Your contribution may be further edited by our staff, and its publication is subject to our final approval. Unfortunately, our editorial approach may not be able to accommodate all contributions. Submit Thank You for Your Contribution! Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article. Please note that our editors may make some formatting changes or correct spelling or grammatical errors, and may also contact you if any clarifications are needed. Uh Oh There was a problem with your submission. Please try again later. Close Date Published: May 25, 2010 URL: Access Date: January 19, 2017 Share BREEDS.NEEDS.Kookaburras Kookaburras belong to a family of birds that are called Kingfishers. Minimum size: 40 cm Maximum size: 45 cm (approx.

17") Average size: 42 cm Breeding season: August to January (in Aus, which is their Springtime) Sexually Mature: approx 12 months of Age Life Span - approx 15 years CITES : Not Listed Noise Levels: they can be VERY NOISY at certain times of day Description: The Laughing Kookaburra is a thick-set bird with a large head, short neck, and medium length tail. The bill is long, broad, and somewhat flattened. The head is mostly white with a dark brown crown and a brown stripe through the eye. The breast is creamy white, the wings brown with blue mottling, the back brown and the tail rufous with fine darker brown banding and white edges. Males sport a small patch of blue-green feathers in the centre of the rump that is reduced or absent in the female. The eyes are dark brown. The Laughing Kookaburra, at 47 cm tall and 500 grams in weight, is one of the largest members of the kingfisher family.

There are four species of Kookaburras: Laughing Kookaburra Blue-Winged Kookaburra The Blue-winged kookaburra has a large blue patch on the wings. The head and chest are fluffy and covered with light coloured feathers, the rump and wings are coloured bright blue and it has some brown feathers above its dark blue tail . Has a large, cream-white head that is streaked brown. It has a brown back and its wings are mostly blue. Blue-Winged The rump and tail are also blue on the male, but the female has a reddish-brown barred tail. They have a very pointy long beak. Differences from Laughing Kookaburra are: blue rump, cream-white head and light eye colour. It is found in southern New Guinea and the wetter parts of northern Australia, across Queensland and the top part of Australia and down the coast of Western Australia. It lives in the Mangrove swamps of Northern Australia and has a preference for aquatic food such as fish, freshwater crayfish, frogs, waterworms and small crabs.

The Blue-winged Kookaburra has a call which sounds like a barking cough like its cousin welcomes the sun in the morning but with a call which sounds a little like 'Ow Ow Ow'..... Kingfishers employ a "sit and wait" technique of hunting, surveying their surroundings from an advantageous perch, then swooping down to seize their prey. Small prey are killed directly by the crushing action of the bill. Larger prey, including snakes of up to 1 meter in length, may be whacked repeatedly against a branch or dropped from a height until pulverized. Prey items include large insects, lizards, snakes, amphibians, small mammals, birds, and occasionally fish. DIET in CAPTIVITY The need a varied, high protein, carnivorous diet similar to that of a Bird of Prey or Owl In a Zoo Environment, they are fed commercially prepared "Bird of Prey mix" and dead, day-old chicks. including fish, small snakes, lizards, rodents, worms, beetles and other insects. Crickets, Grasshoppers, earthworms, centipedes, lizards and MEALWORMS.

Fresh or frozen Mice (not those found dead), Day old Chicks, small bits of beef, small rats (not if there's a chance they've eaten Rat Poison tho!) How it Catches its Food the Kookaburra uses a "wait-and-pounce technique", - taking up a post with a good view. When prey appears, the Kookaburra drops straight down from its perch, its wings back, with beak ready to grab its dinner. Large prey items like lizards and snakes are bashed against a tree or a rock, to kill them and soften them up before they are eaten. Adult Ks bash their prey on a perch to break up the bones and make it easier to eat It also serves to "tenderise" the meat of the prey. Feathers and fur from their meals provide roughage while the bones & insect shells provide the calcium Can devour snakes up to 3 ft in length.

Blue-Winged Kookaburra They even continue with the "Bashing of Food" ritual in captivity when "Dead" food is fed to them As it still serves the purpose of tenderising the flesh and pulverising the bones Kookaburras are NOT closely associated with WATER - HOWEVER: They DO like to bathe and will sometimes catch fish with plunging dives and, on occasion, raid suburban goldfish ponds. Prey is stunned by dropping from a height or whacking it against a branch before swallowing. They will even kill poisonous snakes by grabbing them behind the head and smashing them against a rock until they are dead. They regurgitate a "cast" once per day of undigested material in the form of a "dry" pellet (a bit like an owl does). The "Casts" resemble mammalian Droppings! (Nice eh?!"!") If they get stressed they will regurgitate their meal - even hours later.

One of the rarest Kingfishers in the world (there are now only about 50 individuals left in the wild of this critically endangered species) is the Tuamotu Kingfisher ► ► PROBLEMS with PESTICIDES in the Wild When humans use pesticides to kill insects they end up poisoning the animals which usually feed on those pests. When kookaburras eat contaminated insects, they absorb the pesticide chemicals and store them in their fat. When food is in short supply and the kookaburras use some of their fat store, high concentrations of chemicals may flow into the blood. The result can be reproductive losses or even death. If you must use Pesticides, choose the least toxic ones and take special care to avoid those which build up residues in the bodies of animals which prey on insects. A Kookaburra's crop is between it's legs Laughing Kookaburra so if you had to force feed (or hand-feed a baby) allow extra time for the food to get as far down as the crop. - you have to push the food a little more the back of their mouths Scissor-type of tweezers are ideal for feeding like this to prevent getting bitten.

Food should be moistened first Dip it in water first This will help the food slide down the throat easier. as they also have very short tongues - HOUSING Must be housed separately - if put in with other birds esp. smaller ones - they may eat them. However, they do like to be within sight or sound of other Kookaburras and may not "LAUGH" unless with or near their own breed. The need a long Aviary, as they need lots of Flying space. Conservation status: Their Distinctive Call or LAUGH Kookaburras make a laughing call, most often in the early morning and just before dark. The calls let other Kookaburras know where each one lives. The Laughing Kookaburra and the Blue-winged Kookaburra live in family groups. One will make the chuckling sound that is the start of the call. and the others join in, so they laugh in chorus. The most famous feature of the species is its loud, boisterous "laugh", a repeated "kook-kook-kook-ka-ka-ka" call that rises and falls in volume as family members join in to form a raucous chorus.

Often heard at dawn in the bush, this call has provided the Laughing Kookaburra with another one of its colourful nicknames, "the Bushman's Clock." CALLS The chuckling voice that gives this species its name is a common and familiar sound throughout the bird's range. The loud 'koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa' is often sung in a chorus with other individuals. The Laughing Kookaburra also has a shorter 'koooaa', which is normally given when accompanied by other members of its family group. Laughing Kookaburras are believed to pair for life and have an unusual parenting behaviour. Other Laughing Kookaburras, usually offspring of the previous one to two years, act as 'helpers' during the breeding season. Every bird in the group shares all parenting duties. After the young are reared and fledge they often stay around the nest to help the parents with the next clutch of babies. This behaviour contrasts dramatically with the majority of birds who leave the nest once they are fledged to search for territory and mates of their own.

When a Kookaburra family-system of chick rearing has been established it is usual for a second clutch of chicks to be raised in one season. In this instance, the offspring of prior clutches will take over the raising of the first brood of the season while the parents attend to the second. In a Kookaburra family group all the birds develop a brood patch which is a bare spot of skin on the breast used to transfer body heat to incubate the eggs. There have been documented cases where the helper birds spend more time incubating eggs than one of the parents. Most helpers are males who assist with nesting duties as well as territory defence. If a parent dies often a helper will take the place of the missing mate. Laughing Kookaburra | BirdNote Laughing Kookaburra Support More Shows Like This The voice of the Laughing Kookaburra is so distinctive, it's one of the best known sounds in nature. Its exotic call has been a Hollywood standard for decades, that unseen creature in the depths of the jungle, with heroes ranging from Tarzan to Indiana Jones. Kookaburras are hefty members of the kingfisher family, found primarily in Australia and New Guinea.

Listeners support our show. Make a gift today. Thank you! This is BirdNote! [Laughing Kookaburra calls] I bet you’ve heard this sound before, maybe on the soundtrack of a movie. [Laughing Kookaburra calls] This oddly familiar crazed laughter belongs to the Laughing Kookaburra of Australia. [Laughing Kookaburra calls] Its exotic call has been a Hollywood standard for decades, that unseen creature lurking in the depths of the African jungle – or any jungle for that matter, in movies with heroes ranging from Tarzan to Indiana Jones. But in reality, just what kind of birds are kookaburras? They’re hefty members of the kingfisher family, found primarily in Australia and New Guinea. The Laughing Kookaburra – one of four species of kookaburras – stands 18 inches tall and is the largest of all kingfishers. Unlike our familiar waterside kingfishers, kookaburras live in open woodlands and dive from branches to capture snakes, lizards, and mice.

The bird’s name, which imitates its raucous call, derives from an Australian aboriginal language, Wiradhuri (pronounced wee-rah-JOOR-ee). It’s also earned the names “bushman’s clock,” “breakfastbird,” and “alarmbird,” for its reliable habit of loudly ringing in the dawn. [Laughing Kookaburra calls] Listeners support our show. Thank you! I’m Michael Stein. ### Call of the Laughing Kookaburra provided by The Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Recorded by F.N. Robinson. Producer: John Kessler © 2013 Tune In to Nature.org August 2013 Narrator: Michael Stein ID# 080907LAKOKPLU LAKO-01b Laughing Kookaburra | The Animal Facts Conservation status: Lower risk Appearance The laughing kookaburra belongs to the kingfisher family but unlike most kingfishers that are brightly coloured they are plain coloured. They are a stocky bird with a large head, big brown eyes and a large bill.

They have a white or beige head and front with brown wings and back. The front has pale wavy grey lines. The wings are speckled with sky blue spots, and the male of the species often has blue just above the base of their tail. The tail is reddish-orange in colour with brown bars across it and white tips on the feathers. There is a dark brown stripe which looks like a mask crossing each eye. They have a large bill which is black on the top and bone coloured on the bottom. The average body length of the laughing kookaburra is 39 to 42 cms (15.4 to 16.5 in) with the average weight being 196 to 465 grams (6.9 to 16.4 ounces). The females are slightly heavier than the males. Lifespan The average lifespan of the laughing kookaburra is about 11-15 years in the wild and up to 15-20 years in captivity. Diet Most kingfishers specialise in diving in to streams and ponds to catch fish however the laughing kookaburra rarely eats fish. Their diet instead consists mainly of reptiles and rodents.

They will eat snakes, lizards, mice, insects and small birds and their young. They hunt their prey by staying still on a branch or perch waiting for the prey to pass by. When the prey passes by they will swoop down and land next to it taking it in their bill. They will usually bang the prey against a branch to kill it and then will swallow it whole head first. Habitat The laughing kookaburra is native to eastern Australia. There have been populations introduced into Tasmania, Flinders Island, Kangaroo Island and New Zealand. They are found in dry eucalyptus forests, woodlands and also in urban parks and gardens. They are quite happy to interact with humans and will even eat out of peoples hands and will sometimes swoop in and take food from peoples hands. Reproduction Kookaburras stay with their mate for life and will use the same nest hole in a tree trunk or arboreal termite nest year after year. Once they are ready to mate the male will feed the female for about six weeks before she will lay the eggs. The female will lay two or three eggs and after an incubation period of 24 to 29 days the chicks will be born.

The breeding pair are helped with incubating the eggs, keeping the chicks warm and feeding them by four or five of their grown young. They also help to defend the territory while the breeding pair are busy with the new chicks. Behaviour Kookaburras live in loose family groups and their laughter serves to let other birds know that this is their territory. They live in family groups with offspring that help their parents care and hunt for the next generation of kookaburras. Their laugh can be heard at any time of the day but is most often heard after sunset to dusk or shortly after dawn. One of the birds will usually start with a bit of a chuckle and then erupts into a shrieking “laugh”, and if a rival tribe is near the whole group will then join in to let them know that territory is taken. Laughing kookaburras have different calls that they use for other things such as courtship, showing aggression, raising the alarm and begging for food. Quick facts The laughing kookaburra is known as the “bushmans alarm clock”. The laughing kookaburra was once known as the laughing jackass.

The offspring of the laughing kookauburra help their parents take care of the next generation. They often live in suburban areas and will often take food from peoples hands. Be Sociable, Share! Laughing Kookaburra (Birds) In Depth Tutorials and Information Laughing Kookaburra (Birds) • An opportunistic predator of Australia’s bush, this crow-sized kingfisher grabs and stabs prey with its bill • Master reptile killer that thrashes snakes and lizards to death, often after dropping them from high in the air to stun them first • Extremely noisy, with a vocabulary of loud calls that sound like chuckles and sidesplitting laughs where in the world? Over much of eastern Australia in a broad band (Queensland in j the north to Victoria : and southwestern South Australia); introduced to a corner of western Australia and Tasmania Lifecycle A startling array of humanlike “laughs” have contributed to the celebrity of the laughing kookaburra, one of the most conspicuous and charismatic Australian birds.

HABITAT The kookaburra is found in some of eastern Australia’s most arid habitats, especially dry, open eucalyptus forests, but it prefers to be close to a water source. It also occurs in lightly wooded farmland and vast expanses of scrub (the “bush”). It has also adapted well to urban environments and is common in parks and gardens, which it visits to raid bird tables. Living in a sun-drenched climate, the kookaburra needs the shade offered by trees while waiting patiently to swoop on prey. High profile High perches, especially those close to open spaces, attract kookaburras. Although not especially skilled at fishing, the laughing kookaburra often snatches fish from shallow ornamental garden ponds. The laughing kookaburra is nearly 10 times heavier than the Eurasian kingfisher and 50 times heavier than the African dwarf kingfisher. FOOD & HUNTING Although it’s a kingfisher, the kookaburra doesn’t hunt over water for fish. But its hunting method is similar to other kingfishers’.

It mounts an ambush by watching and waiting from a high vantage point and then, when it spots movement on the ground below, dives down to grab prey in its strong bill. Frequently, it launches its attacks from a perch in a tree, although it also makes use of powerlines, especially in built-up areas. Australia has a large and abundant range of reptiles, especially snakes; these make up a significant part of the kookaburra’s diet. Conservation The laughing kookaburra is common throughout its range, thriving in towns, cities and natural habitats. Recent estimates based on the density of territories (number of breeding pairs per given area) in a sample of habitats suggest that its population is in excess of 60 million birds. This kookaburra isn’t facing any serious threats and, indeed, receives protection under the same Australian law that forbids the trade of all wild animals. BREEDING Holes in tree trunks or cavities in dead and rotten wood make ideal kookaburra nest sites. It also takes over vacant nests of tree termites or occupies holes in the walls of buildings. After mating, the female lays two or three white eggs on the bare floor of the nest chamber.

The male and female pair for life and cooperate to rear their brood. They also receive assistance from nonbreeding “helpers” — offspring from a previous year that haven’t yet found mates. Helpers may assist for up to four years before attempting to breed themselves, participating in most activities associated with nesting, such as incubating, feeding the young and defending the territory. The young fledge after six weeks, but remain entirely dependent on their parents and helpers for another two months. A STUNNING PERFORMANCE Swoop to kill… Scanning the ground from a tree at the edge of a clearing, a kookaburra spots a snake. It silently launches an attack. Snake bite… Striking quickly, it seizes the snake in its bill and shakes it violently. Backbreaking work… The kookaburra thrashes it against the hard earth.While the snake is stunned, the kookaburra repeats its shaking, breaking the snake’s back. Down in one Returning to its favorite perch with the dead snake, the kookaburra swallows it whole without fear of injury. A Sticking together The kookaburra pairs for life, and both birds share the tasks of maintaining their territory and caring for the eggs and chicks.

BEHAVIOR Named after its most famous call, the laughing kookaburra is especially vocal in early morning and after sundown.The “laugh” itself lasts for ten seconds, beginning and ending with a series of deep chuckles. In between is the loud, remarkably humanlike sound. When calling from a perch, the laughing kookaburra adopts a characteristic posture, with its tail cocked and bill pointing upward. Having a laugh The kookaburra makes its range of raucous or throaty calls year-round to advertise territory ownership. PROFILE Laughing Kookaburra A true giant among kingfishers, the laughing kookaburra’s stocky frame and sturdy bill enable it to tackle sizeable, often dangerous prey. Creature comparisons In parts of eastern Australia, the blue-winged kookaburra (Dacelo leachii) occurs alongside the laughing kookaburra. Similar in size, both have a daggerlike bill.The blue-winged kookaburra has paler eyes and a whiter head. Its tail, rump and areas of its wings are blue.

Where the ranges of the two overlap, the blue-winged kookaburra is found in damper habitats — in wet forests and tall stands of trees beside watercourses. It has a wider distribution than the laughing kookaburra, across northern Australia and north to southern New Guinea, where it sometimes inhabits coastal mangrove swamps. vital statistics The National Aviary - Laughing Kookaburra (Dacelo novaeguineae) FUN FACT The name Kookaburra comes from Wiradhuri, an Australian Aboriginal language. You may not think you've heard the rollicking call of the Laughing Kookaburra, but you almost certainly have. The Kookaburr's loud "laugh" -- that echoing koo-koo-koo-koo-KA-KA-KA! in the background of every jungle movie ever made -- actually comes from a squat, unassuming bird who would never be found anywhere near a jungle. In fact, the traditional home of the wild Laughing Kookaburra is the wide-open eucalyptus forests of Australia. The Laughing Kookaburra is the largest member of the kingfisher family.

But while many kingfishers are brightly colored and famed for their dramatic dives down into the water in search of fish, the brown-and-biege Laughing Kookaburra prefers dry woodlands and city parks, not to mention a more practical sit-and-wait style of hunting. Kookaburras will eat almost any kind of meat they can get hold of -- insects, small mammals, hotdogs, snakes. Once caught up in the Kookaburra's strong beak, prey is carried up into the trees and whacked repeated against a branch to kill it and soften the insides up for easy eating. When they're not stealing food from picnics or beating up snakes, Kookaburras use their distinctive call as a territorial marker. Everywhere you can hear their laughter belongs to them! Unfortunately, they like nothing better than to sound off first thing in the morning. This tendency to wake people up, whether they want to or not, has earned the Laughing Kookaburra the local nickname "The Bushman's Alarm Clock." Distribution Native to eastern Australia, but an introduced population exists around Perth in western Australia as well as in New Zealand. Habitat Traditionally eucalyptus forests.

However, Kookaburras have adapted well to human landscapes, and are now a common sight in suburban gardens and parks. Diet Small mammals, large insects, lizards -- and snakes! Kookaburras are famous for eating even venomous snakes that are longer than their own bodies. Breeding Laughing Kookaburras breed during the summer months (which in Australia are October - November). They cooperate in the excavation of a hollow tree or arboreal termite mound where the female will lay her 2-4 eggs. Chicks hatch after about 27 days, and remain in the burrow for up to a month. When they are finally coaxed out of the nesting burrow, chicks are already able to fly and join in the raucous family chorus. Previous seasons' offspring will often stay within the family group, helping to raise the next year's brood.

Status Not Under Threat (Least Concern) At the Aviary Kookaburra Fact Sheet Dacelo is an anagram of Alcedo (another genus of kingfisher) (Legge 2004) Common name: Laughing kookaburra, for distinctive calls of "cacophonic chorusing" (Legge 2004) Other names include the "bushman's clock" and "breakfast bird", because it calls at dawn (Legge 2004) The correct scientific name is D. novaeguineae, although the species is often referred to as D. gigas. D. novaeguineae was the name given earlier in the same year as D.

gigas (Woodall 2001) Sibley & Ahlquist (1990) and Fry et al.(1992) used Dacelonidae for this family but Halcyonidae (or Halcyoninae if it is considered a subfamily) has been used subsequently (Moyle 2006) Evolutionary History Quasisyndactylus was a small bird with a long, flattened beak that lived some 40-48 million years ago in Messel, Germany (Mayr 2005).

A photo of the Quasisyndactylus fossil can be seen at: Like all modern kingfishers, the three forward-facing toes of Quasisyndacylus are attached for much of their length (an example of "syndactyly") This fossil is the earliest known ancestor of motmots, todies, bee-eaters and kingfishers Kingfishers probably evolved in the northern hemisphere, according to DNA analysis (Moyle 2006) Studies based on modern species distributions had earlier suggested origins in rainforests of Indochina, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Guinea (Woodall 2001) Fossil kingfishers also found in: Wyoming, U.S.A.

and France 30-40 million years ago (Eocene-Oligocene) (Olson 1976) (Becker 1986) (Mourer-Chauviré 1995) Australia 5-25 million years ago (Miocene) rocks (Boles 1997) Tree kingfishers such as kookaburras (Halcyonids) are widespread in old world tropics today, especially in Australia and New Guinea but also in Africa (Moyle 2006) Todies and motmots are the closest relatives of the kingfishers (Moyle 2006) Cultural History Australian Aboriginal tribes have numerous legends about kookaburras (Reed 1998) (Legge 2004) Many legends explain the origins of kookaburras' calling at sunrise: a Creator assigned kookaburras the task of waking all the other animals Other legends attribute kookaburra calls to their mean-spirited and derisive laughter at others' misfortunes Bidjigal aboriginals near Sydney say Kookaburra and Snake were once good friends until Snake ate

 an egg of the kookaburras; after that, kookaburras ate snakes Kookaburras' snake-killing prowress endeared them to Australians as they farmed their new territories; they are common in poetry, song, illustration (Legge 2004) The kookaburra poem, written in 1932 by Marion Sinclair, became a popular children's round still sung today (See: ) In 2011, the Australian band Men at Work lost a copyright infringement lawsuit brought against their use of the kookaburra song in a flute riff in their 1980s song Down Under (Smith 2011) Australians chose the bold and confident kookaburra as the mascot for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney DISTRIBUTION & HABITAT (Blakers et al.

1984) (Cooper et al. 2008) (Fletcher 1907) (Fry et al. 1992) (Legge 2000a,b,c, 2004) (Troup 2009) (Woodall 2001) Laughing Kookaburra distribution. Click here or on map for detailed distribution (IUCN) Distribution Dacelo n. minor - Eastern coast Australia, Cape York Peninsula to Cooktown (Woodall 2001) Dacelo n. novaeguineae - Eastern coast Australia, south Cape York Peninsula, to Flinders Range in South Australia, and Cape Otway in New South Wales Introduced to Tasmania in early 1900s (Fletcher 1907); presently well-established there (Cooper et al. 2008) Introduced to Western Australia and are well-established there (Cooper et al.

2008) Introduced in South Australia's Kangaroo Island in 1926 and a small population remains (Blakers 1984) Ranges of laughing kookaburra overlap with blue-winged kookaburra from Cape York Peninsula to Brisbane (Fry et al. 1992) Introduced in late 1800s near Auckland, New Zealand on Kawau Island and the adjacent mainland; a small New Zealand population remains (Troup 2009) Superb vision for detecting prey from above Visual field is composed of two areas rich in receptors (fovea): Within a single eye, vision is sharpened by monocular fovea By rotating the head, a second area of receptors in each eye can be used together for binocular vision to detect movement and position Falcons use similar head-tracking movements Other predatory birds such as eagles and kites track prey more often with their eyes rather than head turning BEHAVIOR & ECOLOGY (Baker 2004) (Buttemer et al. 2003) (Cooper et al. 2008) (Geiser et al.

2006) (Higgins 1999) (Keast 1985) (Legge 2000c, 2004) (Legge & Cockburn 2000) (Moloney et al. 2002) (Parry 1970) (Schodde & Tideman 1997) (Zanette & Jenkins 2000): Social behavior Complex social relationships Breed in nuclear family groups with a monogamous pair assisted by up to six helper-birds (Legge & Cockburn 2000) Roost communally at night (Cooper et al. 2008) Juveniles may roost separately from adults (Higgins 1999) Activity Cycle (Cooper et al.

2008) Kookaburras make most of their calls each day before dawn (Keast 1985) Active during the day (diurnal); roost for an average of 12 hours a night In wild, remain roosting longer when weather is unfavorably wet or cold Reduce basal metabolic rate significantly at night to conserve energy (Buttemer et al. 2003) Body temperature at night is lowered by up to 9.1°C (16.4°F) Also use huddling behavior while roosting to stay warm Most birds (like owl) with low nighttime metabolism and temperatures also have low values during the day; kookaburras' metabolism and temperatures in daytime are much higher Wild kookaburras elevate body temperature in daytime by generating their own heat; they don't wait for the sun to warm them up Such an extreme variation in body temperature is an example of heterothermy (fluctuation in temperatures seen in animals that undergo hibernation or a daily torpor) Heterothermy is more common in mammals than in birds (Geiser et al.

2006) Captive birds do not undergo such temperature fluctuations, presumably because (Geiser et al.

2006): Their food supply is steady and predictable; energy conservation is thus less important They may not feel secure enough to enter a largely unresponsive state of torpor Territory/Range Size Territories range from 16-244 ha (39.5-603 acres) Larger groups have larger territories Territorial Behavior Unlike other kingfishers, kookaburras are territorial year-round and also sedentary (don't migrate) (Schodde & Tideman 1997) Birds are careful to honor territorial boundaries (Parry 1970) In one experiment by a researcher, a kookaburra would not cross into a neighbor's territory even to grab food tossed across the invisible line (Parry 1970) Much energy is expended in complex, boundary-marking displays by the whole group (see below, Displays ) Aggression Kookaburra chicks display significant aggression from the moment they hatch; in studies near Canberra, Australia (Legge 2000c, 2004): Chicks use the sharp downturned tip of their upper beak to attack nestmates; this hook is absent by the time the chick fledges 33

% of nests with two or three young had chicks killed by nestmates (siblicide) Other species of birds that experience this type of aggression have siblicide rates over 90% Factors creating conditions for siblicide: First and second chicks hatch close together in time (fight to establish dominance) When these two eggs are of similar size (they fight to establish dominance) Where a male chick is born first, a female second (male's initial dominance from birth order quickly challenged by faster-growing larger female) When the group lacks a male helper (females are poor helpers, chicks not as well provisioned by females) An underlying reason for siblicide is female's physical condition at time of laying Eggs don't begin developing until the female begins sitting on them (incubating) Females in good condition can begin incubating each egg as it is laid; they don't need to keep hunting between egg-laying days Delay of incubation until all the eggs are in the nest produces eggs that hatch close in time - a hyper-competitive situation Levels of aggression decline with each day as clear dominance patterns are established Aggression between fledglings is common in the form of "sparring" (Parry 1973) Opp

onents grab each others' bills Twist bodies back in forth to throw opponents off balance Serious injury rare Aerial displays in ritual defense of territory (Higgins 1999) (Parry 1970) Trapeze flight: A defense perch is occupied near the boundary, in view of a similar perch across the boundary in neighbor's territory A bird swoops from the perch to a nearby tree in its own territory, lands, and returns A second bird may begin to swoop as the first bird returns; they pass in mid-air like trapeze artists Following this display, the birds may pause to allow birds in the neighboring territory to do the same display Alternating swoops to a tree and back may continue for as long as 30 minutes Much loud calling (by the the rest of the group) may accompany these displays Circle flight One bird flies above trees Makes quick dash into neighboring birds' territory Flies in large circles around neighboring birds Much loud calling by the whole group ensues Agressive posture threats, then actual physical attacks are used to rid a territory of an intentionally or accidentally invading kookaburra (Parry 1970) (Higgins 1999) Wings held down with rump exposed Head and

 upper body thrust forward Feathers made sleek Tail wagged up and down Vigorous attack and chase of intruder may follow Alarm posture (Higgins 1999): Kookaburra parents make their nests in small tree hollows.

These nests may be used for many years. Nesting Parents engage in ritual tree-hollow inspecting (Legge 2004) Height of chosen nest above ground varies greatly, from 20 cm (7.9 in) to 60 m (196.9 ft) Parents make little attempt to prepare the hollow for nesting Nest may sometimes be made in a termite nest in a tree (Fry et al. 1992) Only one nesting attempt per season (Legge 2000a) Tree hollow nest may be used for many years (Fry et al.

1992) Egg Laying/Incubation (Legge 2000a,b,c 2004) Eggs laid in Australian spring (September-December) Female usually lays three eggs and sometimes two; rarely one or as many as five (Parry 1970) Eggs rounded to elliptical, smooth, luminous white (Foreshaw & Cooper 1983) Usually 1-2 days between laying of each egg; up to 4 days between Female incubates eggs at night; male and other helpers assist in daytime All members of the group (parents plus helpers) develop a brood patch on the belly This area of unfeathered skin that is rich in blood vessels helps keep eggs warm Eggs begin to develop only when reaching a critical temperature after the female begins sitting on them (incubating): If she begins after all eggs are laid, then nestlings hatch at about the same time This results in a hyper-competitive situation and increases the likeliness of siblicide If she starts incubating immediately upon laying the first egg, then that chick will hatch sooner than the others (decreasing the likeliness of siblicide) The dominant male incubates eggs the most often;

 the dominant female the next most often; female helpers the least Life Stages Young kookaburras begin to laugh at 6 weeks of age and have perfected it by 3 months.

Nestlings (Legge 2004) Nestling break out of eggs using conical egg tooth on top of their bill Third hatchlings rarely survive; severe aggression by other two chicks results in a 50% survival rate of the third-born chick Pin feather stubs visible under skin at 4 days; emerge 7-11 days (Parry 1970) Eyes fully open by day 10 (Higgins 1999) Food is delivered to nestlings whole (often tenderized by bashing on ground or against tree or rock) Parents plus all helpers forage for food for the chicks; with each additional helper, each helper reduces its provsioning efforts (Legge 2000c) Young Kookaburra keep stubby pin feathers until nearly the time of fledging (Legge 2004) This is a trait of all members of the order Coraciiformes (bee-eaters, rollers, hornbills, kingfishers) Trait perhaps serves to keep feathers from becoming frayed and soiled while young live in a confined tree hollow Adults don't remove feces from hollow; older birds attempt to aim feces out the opening but often miss

 (Woodall 2001) Feathers of the head region open through the shafts around day 32 (Smith 1976) Fledging at 33-39 days (Parry 1970) After this relatively long nesting period, young can fly well when they leave the tree hole nest (Parry 1970) One, occasionally two chicks are fledged (Legge 2004) Begin to laugh at 6 weeks; perfect the laugh by 3 months (Woodall 2001) Young are typically darker on chest than adults Adults Sexual maturity at 1 year; most delay breeding for several years (Woodall 2001) Longevity (BirdLife International 2012) (IUCN Redlist 2011) (Moloney et al.

2002) Population Status 2009: estimated 65,000,000 (BirdLife International 2012) Population suspected to be in decline from habitat destruction (BirdLife International 2012) Conservation IUCN Status: Least Concern (IUCN Redlist 2011) The species' very large range 2,420,000 km sq (934,367.23 mi sq) prevents it from being considered Vulnerable CITES Status: Not listed Threats to survival Habitat destruction and fragmentation, especially clearing of eucalypt woodlands and removal of trees with hollows (Moloney et al.

2002) Over 400,00 ha (988,422 acres) of native forest land is cleared per year in Queensland (as of 2002) Important Web Resources: SilverTowne - 2013 Silver Kookaburra Coins Available Now SilverTowne Grading Service > Not Specified > 2013 Silver Kookaburra Coins Available Now 2013 Silver Kookaburra Coins Available Now Kookaburras are found in Australia and New Guinea and belong to the Tree Kingfishers family of birds. Kookaburra Silver Coins are a signature product from the Perth Mint of Australia and are one of the most widely-collected modern world coins across the globe. The large birds are best known for their unique calls, which sound like the echoing laughter of humans. The bullion coins are popular with collectors for their high-quality annually-updated designs minted in 99.9% pure silver. Collectors can now add the 2013 Silver Kookaburra to their collection.

The reverse of the newest design in the series features two young kookaburras perched on a tree branch above some flowering foliage. Inscribed around the outside of this image are AUTRALIAN KOOKABURRA and 2013 1oz 999 SILVER. A "P" mint mark for the Perth Mint is also included on the back-side of the coin. The obverse of the coin is centered around an effigy of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as is the case with other Kookaburra coins and all legal tender coinage form Australia. Inscribed on the front of the coin are ELIZABETH II, AUSTRALIA and 1 DOLLAR. 120 East Union City Pike Winchester, IN 47394 First Name Last Name *By signing up for the SilverTowne Email list and being an active member, you are automatically entered for the monthly drawing for a free ounce of SilverTowne Silver! Winners are notified via email/phone. Download the Free Silver Now App Today!

Question: The Kookaburra belongs to which family of birds?
Answer: Kingfisher